Book Synopsis
Book Tags
Donation Rankings
Comment
0 Comments
You May Also Like
墨書 Inktalez
Chapter 105: The New Star Shines Bright
“Do you know Pan Shuanglong and You Bisheng?”
In front of the interrogation team, Pan Shuanglong, whose gunshot wounds had healed, wore handcuffs and a nonchalant expression. He scoffed at the question and replied with a smirk, “That idiot is still alive?”
“Answer the question directly,” the Interrogator said.
“Of course I know him. Who in Binhai doesn’t? At the very least, all the police know him,” Pan Shuanglong replied.
“How much do you know about his crimes?” the Interrogator asked.
“There’s nothing he hasn’t done; I can’t be bothered to keep track,” Pan Shuanglong said.
Everyone’s assessment of this man was surprisingly unanimous; even other criminals wished for his early demise. The Interrogator continued, “What about He Shi? It’s said that He Shi’s leg was crippled by You Bisheng’s men. This is also a case of assault.”
“Hmm, I’m not sure who He Shi is… Oh right, you should ask Old Cripple. They probably handled it themselves; people in the underworld have their own ways of solving problems and usually don’t bother the police,” Pan Shuanglong hesitated.
“Is that so? It seems you all are scared out of your wits and ran away together. Don’t think we don’t know that you, He Shi, Ma Yubing, and Mao Shiping are all from Haigang,” the Interrogator pressed.
“Scared out of my wits? Ha! If someone hadn’t shown mercy, would he still be alive today? Don’t be fooled by his bravado; when he’s begging on his knees, he knows how to play the pity card better than anyone… Don’t pin me down; I don’t know who he is. There are tens of thousands of Haigang kids; take your time investigating,” Pan Shuanglong mocked, clearly dismissive.
……………………
The video of this interrogation froze on Pan Shuanglong's mocking expression, displayed before You Bisheng.
You Bisheng's eyes blazed with fury, veins bulging on his forehead; he looked like a sworn enemy ready to fight. At this moment, Shen Lingchen added fuel to the fire: “Master You, we can’t get anything out of this rascal. Think of a way.”
“Damn it! It’s these bastards who have caused me so much trouble…” You Bisheng seethed with rage but remained vigilant against the police.
"That's unfortunate," Shen Lingchen said nonchalantly. "He came in stealing, got a month in detention, and will be out soon. Once he's out, it'll be back to his old ways of debauchery. We really have no way to deal with it."
"What? You're letting him go? I mean, what are you police doing? A thief like him has done nothing but steal his whole life, and you're just going to let him go?" You Bisheng was furious, unable to accept this outcome.
"Well, we can't do anything about it. No evidence, no proof. Just like you, he's a man of strong will," Shen Lingchen said calmly, complimenting You Bisheng.
You Bisheng didn't mind the praise directed at him, but when Pan Shuanglong was brought into the conversation, he scoffed and said, "What does he amount to? Not even worthy of carrying my shoes. If it weren't for his mother being taken advantage of by them, he wouldn't even be involved in this."
"What's this about? What do you mean by being taken advantage of? You sound like you're just bragging," Xu Fei asked.
At this point, You Bisheng became alert. He rolled his eyes at the police officers and clicked his tongue silently. Shen Lingchen smiled and reminded him, "Master You, your injuries must have a story behind them. Given how you describe them as so pathetic, I find it hard to believe they would let you off easily. Honestly, I feel it's a bit unfair for you to let them enjoy the show while you suffer."
He felt encouraged but then deflated again. You Bisheng ultimately couldn't escape the demons in his heart and hesitantly said, "I can't explain... I just can't make sense of it... I don't even know who that bastard is..."
His voice trembled with fear as he revealed that there was indeed a dark story behind this. You Bisheng had been eyeing the business of He Shi and Ma Yubing at that time. When he heard that they had acquired something valuable, Old Yau's malice surged within him. He led a group to rob He Shi, severely injuring him in the process. Originally intending to target He Changgun and He Shi directly, he never anticipated that there were even more formidable figures involved.
"Brother Five?" Shen Lingchen and Xu Fei exclaimed simultaneously. According to You Bisheng's identification, it should be Nie Qifeng; however, strangely enough, Pan Shuanglong did not recognize Nie Qifeng.
You Bisheng nodded, his eyes darting around in terror as he recounted a horrifying tale. Just after making a score, he was captured by someone who spoke the language of the streets: Black Kite. This was the kind of expert who could pick locks and break in under the cover of night. He had been taken from his home while sleeping and stuffed into a box. Then he was submerged in seawater for an entire day like a pig being soaked before being stabbed with a cross-shaped awl seventeen or eighteen times to extract information about the stolen goods.
At this point, Old Yau was utterly terrified. He muttered, "It's dark—really damn dark! I went into prison without any issues but ended up being tortured into poverty by them. They took everything valuable from me just to spare my life."
This lead piqued Xu Fei's interest as he began asking detailed questions about what was stolen from He Shi. One by one, he noted down the items. It seemed that You Bisheng harbored deep resentment towards this group; he remembered every detail clearly—a Thangka that he had stolen from He Shi which was said to be worth hundreds of thousands; along with other valuable items including a Xuande Furnace, two Guanyin Statues, and several pieces of jade artifacts whose names he couldn't recall—all of which were also stolen goods that he had half-acquired from the Ghost Market.
Fearing that Pan Shuanglong might not secure a conviction, You Bisheng listed several names—old thieves who had washed their hands of crime. He mentioned that those with broken index and middle fingers were all cut by Pan Shuanglong; among that gang was a Black Kite who undoubtedly had committed many crimes.
Guan Yiqing occasionally glanced at Shen Lingchen; they exchanged smiles as they understood each other’s thoughts. At this moment, the case began to gain momentum; as long as these two corroborated each other's stories, they had nothing to fear from Pan Shuanglong turning on You Bisheng.
Just then, Shen Lingchen's phone rang with a message from Guo Wei: Someone has made contact.
He opened his instant messaging app where Guo Wei sent him a screenshot from the detention center showing a meeting area where Xiao Mu's identity suspect Wang Jie was talking to an unfamiliar face. The information relayed indicated that this person was Li Derli, an accountant from Nie Qifeng's Golden Summit Microloan Company, seemingly handling matters assigned by Boss.
After waiting for nearly a month, he finally made contact.
Shen Lingchen felt a lightness in his heart. If the group from Binhai was putting in the effort to investigate Mulin Shen's background, it meant they had taken an interest in him. By the way, Xiao Mu had been back in Suzhou and Hangzhou for almost a month now. He had no idea what that guy was up to with his gang of misfits, but it seemed to have caught Binhai's attention quickly.
He lowered his head, suppressing his excitement, and sent a text message to Guo Wei: "Contact the prison authorities and arrange for Wang Jie to be transferred to another prison, as far away from Binhai as possible."
…………………………
…………………………
Meanwhile, another person was busy at work. Li Derli, the accountant at Golden Ding Company, was in his forties, balding with a prominent forehead and a bit overweight. After coming out of the detention center, he informed Nie Qifeng about the situation here. Indeed, Wang Jie’s classmate—who had also been expelled—had been hanging out with Mulin Shen since he returned to the country. After You Bisheng was arrested, Wang Jie was one of the scattered monkeys after the tree fell, having been detained for selling small packages.
Nie Qifeng's arrangement also included asking him to check at the school. Li Derli held the phone and asked curiously, "Niezi, are you trying to tire me out? Just a little punk—what's the point of having me investigate this for so long? It's been over a month; is it really necessary?"
"Old Li, it’s important. Rong Wu arranged this. Are you going or not?" Nie Qifeng replied over the phone.
"It wouldn’t be that Xiao Wu wants to find a husband for his sister, would it? That kid is handsome but not exactly on the straight and narrow; I’ve never seen someone so bold as to demand payment at the police station," Li Derli said, chuckling at the thought of that little rascal.
"Exactly! A real talent! Haha."
"By the way, where did everyone run off to? Did they all get scared away? Would anyone dare come back?"
"Is there anyone we can't invite? That guy went back to Suzhou and Hangzhou... Oh right, Old Li, you’ll need to make a trip to Suzhou and Hangzhou again. That kid seems to be doing well over there; find out what's going on."
"Huh? I mean..."
"Hey, what are you doing idly? I’ll get you a couple of good bottles of wine later."
"Hey now, I... oh you lazy bunch."
Li Derli hung up the phone, feeling a mix of frustration and determination. However, for the sake of caution, he followed Rong Wu's instructions and began his investigation methodically. For someone well-versed in the ways of the world, there was no challenge too great. Difficulty in obtaining student records? Nonsense; a quick visit to the district education bureau would solve that. Forget about student status—one could even buy bank card information if needed.
If interviewing people proved difficult, that was even simpler. With the information he had gathered, he could trace where individuals had gone, even locating former homeroom teachers. Those teachers were notoriously lax; with just a few familiar words, he could uncover details about how this troublemaker had once written love letters to a girl.
He had lunch with a teacher, and after the meal, Li Derli hit the road. The teacher, quite tipsy, urged him not to let his niece go on a blind date with Mulin Shen, claiming that his character was absolutely questionable.
As he drove towards Suzhou and Hangzhou, Li Derli couldn't help but chuckle. He had approached the teacher under the pretense of arranging a date for his niece, but the outcome was unexpected. The teacher still vividly remembered a student from over a decade ago. It was strange—why did this person seem to grow more likable despite his flaws?
His phone rang; it was Rong Wu. After connecting, Li Derli shared what he knew. There was a moment of silence on the other end before Rong Wu spoke up.
"Nothing much, old Li. He’s back in Suzhou and Hangzhou now; you should dig deeper," Rong Wu said, his tone devoid of emotion.
Li Derli recalled an incident involving Yingzi and Xiao Mu and remarked, "It should be fine; he probably feels guilty after crossing Yingzi."
"Haha, you're quite perceptive. What you find might surprise you; be prepared," Rong Wu cautioned again.
This piqued Li Derli's interest as he exclaimed, "No way! Even if he's skilled, someone must be backing him up."
"Not necessarily. If it catches you off guard, what do you think about bringing him along for some work?" Rong Wu proposed.
"That sounds perfect! He’s got all the tricks—deception, theft; I heard Old Cripple say he could steal luggage right from the airport! Haha, just like Panzi," Li Derli replied.
"Haha, his skills go beyond that. Drive carefully on your way," Rong Wu said before abruptly hanging up.
Li Derli found it odd that he didn't fully grasp Rong Wu's meaning before the call ended. Pondering over it left him puzzled about Rong Wu's true intentions.
Before long, he arrived in Suzhou and Hangzhou and parked near Cangji Village while contacting familiar faces.
This was the stronghold of Mao Shiping, Ma Yubing, and He Shi for many years. To outsiders, it might seem like chaos after a tree fell; however, to him, as long as the roots remained intact, there was still hope—and that’s what he came looking for.
After waiting for a short while, a man driving a Hyundai pulled up next to him. Li Derli got into the car; this man was Golden Treasure from Ma Yubing's company. Business seemed slow for him as well; he appeared to have been idling for quite some time and wore shorts casually when he arrived. Once inside the car, he respectfully handed over a sealed package to Li Derli—containing several documents and bank cards—and reported, "The car has been taken care of. The venue rental still has over six months until expiration; it's not easy to transfer it out quickly without losing money on transfer fees. I'm currently looking for a new tenant."
"Alright, you handle it, Brother Five can rest assured... Is there anything else from Yu Bing?" Li Derli asked.
"Nothing much, the Police Force is keeping a close watch on Chen Shaoyang. With Xu Gang missing, they probably suspect Ma Ge is involved and are getting desperate," Golden Treasure reported.
As he spoke, he glanced at Li Derli, only to find that Li Derli was also looking at him. He awkwardly smiled, and Li Derli laughed heartily, saying, "Those who betray their own might just get scared enough to run out and drown in the river... By the way, I have another matter. There's someone named Mulin Shen, who used to work under He Shi. It seems he has returned to Suzhou and Hangzhou. Can you help me find him? ... Huh? What's with that expression?"
Strangely, Golden Treasure looked shocked, his eyes bulging as if the name had some magical power. Li Derli leaned in and asked, "What do you mean? Is something wrong?"
"There's a bit of an issue; I can't explain it clearly... Why are you looking for him?" Golden Treasure inquired.
"Oh, he worked for me for a few days in Binhai. The kid is quite clever. Since I'm short on hands, I thought about bringing him back," Li Derli explained. Upon hearing this, Golden Treasure shook his head and said, "I'm afraid you'll be disappointed."
"What do you mean? Is he in trouble?" Li Derli felt his heart race.
"It's worse than being in trouble," Golden Treasure replied.
"He committed a serious crime... Oh no, you're going to drive me crazy," Li Derli urged.
"I told you wouldn't believe me. No one believes me; the entire area from Cangji Village to Zhengmin Road is under his control. Do you believe that? Can he come back to help you?" Golden Treasure stated.
Li Derli was stunned; of course he didn't believe it. He exclaimed, "Are you having a fit or something?"
Back then, it took years for He Shi and his group to establish themselves here. But how could Xiao Mu, who had just returned a few days ago, have such influence? There had to be people involved, money involved, and connections too.
However, today he was about to be completely astonished. Golden Treasure said, "Don't believe me? Fine, I'll take you to see for yourself... Oh my goodness, I'm not bragging! This business is so tempting; thinking back to how I used to be so foolish makes me wonder why I never thought of doing it this way!"
Surprised? Curious? In less than a month, could things really have changed so drastically?
As the car continued on its way, Li Derli listened as this underground accountant began detailing everything. It started with how Young Master Mu returned with over a dozen former subordinates—those former subordinates were none other than the remnants left behind by the hasty escape of He Shi, Ma Yubing, and Mao Shiping. He couldn't fathom how they had all been gathered together again.
It didn't take much effort at all; he already had a foundation. Hu Hanzan was back, and a few emerging forces were wiped out overnight. The method was straightforward: the two dim-witted Gourd Brothers under Lame Brother led a group of useless thugs, beating and smashing their way through, driving everyone away. Those who surrendered were directly incorporated.
After that, he quickly got into the swing of things. By the time others reacted, he had grown to a level where no one dared to underestimate him.
"What are you doing?" Li Derli asked.
"Well, both ends of the street are covered," Golden Treasure replied.
"This is..." Li Derli looked down the street and saw nothing unusual. Curiously, he asked, "Collecting protection fees?"
"Take a look at those parked cars. Do you recognize them?" Golden Treasure asked.
Li Derli squinted to see better. The subordinates of He Shi weren't at a level he recognized yet, but seeing that reckless guy with a dark complexion sparked a thought in him. "Could it be those two treasures under He Shi?"
"Boss, Big Gourd and Hu Yiming have taken over all the temporary parking fees from Cangji Village to Zhengmin Road. They’ve partnered with the Street Office and Urban Construction to snatch away all the business from the old folks. They’re raking it in," Golden Treasure explained.
"How much could that possibly be?" Li Derli scoffed.
"You might not think it's much, but for them, it's significant. How many parking spots are there on this street? Plus, these guys are jacking up prices sky-high—charging three bucks and raising it to five, and they even double the price for out-of-town cars," Golden Treasure said.
"Is it true? This little operation has learned all the tricks of the trade?" Li Derli was astonished.
"Not just that; sanitation fees, management fees, urban construction fees... all sorts of charges along the street are going straight to them. Previously, it took ten days or more to collect half of what was owed; now they collect it all in one day. In a couple of days, these guys might even get themselves some uniforms... Don’t underestimate this; they collect monthly based on total amounts—usually five to ten percent. If you pay more in advance, there are discounts," Golden Treasure calculated, estimating that this business could bring in around ten thousand a month.
After all, these were local charging policies; someone had to do this kind of work. Regular employees wouldn’t touch it; Temporary Workers often ran into trouble. But these fearless individuals were thriving in this environment.
Li Derli found it amusing; he laughed so hard his shoulders shook. He remarked that this kid shouldn’t be out in society but should become a civil servant instead—look at how well he understood the system; aside from collecting money, he did nothing else.
At that moment, they happened to pass by where Big Gourd was stationed. Li Derli pressed down on the car window and looked at the fool inside who was wearing a bag across his chest and shouting: "Hey hey hey! Sir, you haven't paid yet! It's five bucks for your sedan; for your stretch limousine, that's an extra three bucks!"
"Not bad, you're on the right path," Li Derli said with a smile, unable to articulate his feelings about this change.
However, whatever feelings he had were misplaced. "Ha! Do you really think this bunch can do anything right?" Golden Treasure scoffed.
"What? Is there more?" Li Derli asked, puzzled.
"Look to your left; that's Erhu Lu," Golden Treasure replied.
Glancing over, Li Derli saw a few beauty salons and Wenzhou massage parlors in the middle of the street, with alluring women sitting at the entrances of several residential complexes. Being someone who had seen it all, Li Derli chuckled and asked, "Oh, has Erhu Lu gone for some fun?"
"No, he manages both those who pay for it and those who provide it," Golden Treasure explained.
Li Derli was taken aback and started paying closer attention. He noticed Erhu Lu beckoning with his finger, and a seductive woman approached him with a smile, whispering something in his ear. Then, rather brazenly, she groped Erhu Lu's crotch. They seemed to have a good rapport, but what was even stranger was that the woman actually slipped money into Erhu Lu's pants.
"Wow... on top of administrative fees, there's an extra charge?" Li Derli exclaimed in shock. If they were charging for this too, it was beyond comprehension.
Golden Treasure solemnly elaborated, "Just think about it; the whole street is filled with their people. They've formed a network; no one gets news faster than them. If someone comes to indulge, they lead them there; if someone comes to crack down on it, they alert everyone immediately. I just found out they set up a WeChat group. As soon as something stirs up at either end of the street, those in the middle conducting shady business get the word right away. Not just the sex workers but even the gamblers pay them off to keep an eye out."
By the way, that group is called the Co-Creating Civilized City Construction Group.
Li Derli listened in disbelief and then burst into laughter. He couldn't believe it and jokingly asked, "No way! Is he doing all of this by himself?"
"Would I lie to you? There are plenty of familiar faces in there; they're all getting paid by Young Master Mu. In the past, small vendors here were so unruly that even city management couldn't control them. They swept through once, taking both goods and cash; no one dared block the road again. Previously, even when Aunties and Uncles from the Street Office yelled at half the street for sanitation fees, nobody paid up. Now they don’t dare refuse; if they don’t pay, their goods get taken away—much worse for them. These are local tough guys; who would dare provoke them? It’s quite miraculous; this street used to be chaotic beyond belief. City construction management couldn’t handle it at all, but overnight it transformed completely. Among several streets around here, this one is spotless now. You wouldn’t believe how much garbage there used to be in Cangji Village! Guess what? A bunch of sanitation workers now prefer working here because they can get a meal after finishing their shifts," Golden Treasure said with a mix of seriousness and humor that made Li Derli laugh uncontrollably.
"A genius! A genius! This person has what it takes to be mayor!" Li Derli praised. As they walked down the street, it indeed looked vastly different from his memories—chaotic parking had nearly vanished. Golden Treasure pointed out that those guys were even more straightforward; just look at what that sign says by the roadside.
Focusing on it closely, he read eight big characters: No Parking or Stopping—Tires Slashed and Paint Scratched.
With those bold words along with a scruffy-looking parking attendant watching over things, who would dare tempt fate? Li Derli laughed heartily and said he really needed to meet Young Master Mu after all.
"Not easy to see, probably busy," Golden Treasure remarked.
"Busy? Still have business?" Li Derli replied skeptically.
"Oh, I haven't told you about the good business yet... Let me ask where they are," Golden Treasure said as he picked up the phone. After getting an address, he accelerated the car towards their destination.
It was a large shopping mall adjacent to the West Lake Scenic Area, filled with interprovincial tour buses parked outside. Given the bustling scene, Li Derli couldn't help but say, "Don't tell me he's daring enough to collect protection fees here."
"Actually, he is collecting fees here, but not protection fees—it's hush money. Do you believe that?"
Golden Treasure said with a smile, but how could Li Derli believe such a thing?
The two got out of the car, and Golden Treasure pointed out the crowd gathered at the entrance. It was almost a gathering of more than forty employees, all currently following Young Master Mu to make some extra cash. How were they doing it? Li Derli couldn't figure it out no matter how hard he tried. He stared at Golden Treasure in shock; this time, he was genuinely frightened.
Comment 0 Comment Count